A Thousand Stars: Episode I, Part 18
May. 12th, 2022 10:51 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
So Anakin follows Qui-Gon from his home. Then stops. Turns.

The image says everything. A boy caught between his future and his past, between the security of childhood and the realization of his dreams. And he's so small. So young to be making such a choice. Of course he falters. Of course he runs back for a final farewell. In that moment we zoom back into close-ups, intimate shots of the faces of mother and son. (Incidentally, the acting in this exchange is top-notch as well.) But once Anakin begins to leave once more, the camera pulls back again to emphasize the distance, the awful span of separation that lies between him and Shmi. Put those visuals together with the the sweeping, mournful rendition of the Force theme, and we have a scene that perfectly sets up the emotional foundation of Anakin's entire tragic arc. It's one of my favorite scenes in the prequels precisely because of its heartbreaking quality.
Next time, a visual metaphor....

The image says everything. A boy caught between his future and his past, between the security of childhood and the realization of his dreams. And he's so small. So young to be making such a choice. Of course he falters. Of course he runs back for a final farewell. In that moment we zoom back into close-ups, intimate shots of the faces of mother and son. (Incidentally, the acting in this exchange is top-notch as well.) But once Anakin begins to leave once more, the camera pulls back again to emphasize the distance, the awful span of separation that lies between him and Shmi. Put those visuals together with the the sweeping, mournful rendition of the Force theme, and we have a scene that perfectly sets up the emotional foundation of Anakin's entire tragic arc. It's one of my favorite scenes in the prequels precisely because of its heartbreaking quality.
Next time, a visual metaphor....